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Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One is a 1989 superhero film, based on the four-issue story arc of the same name printed in 1987. It is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. This movie was directed by Tim Burton and produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber. The film stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, alongside Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Corley, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime, and depicts a battle with his nemesis the Joker. The tone and themes of the film were influenced in part by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The film primarily adapts the "Red Hood" origin story for the Joker, in which Batman creates the Joker by dropping him into Axis Chemical acid, resulting in his transformation into a psychopath, but it adds a unique twist in presenting him specifically as a gangster named Jack Napier. Plot A family of tourists was just coming home from a show, they had playbills in their hand. A boy named Jimmy took out a map to find out where they are. Jimmy's dad found this to be embarrassing because Jimmy was making them look like tourists. Jimmy was almost hit on by a prostitute, but his mother pushed her out of the way and his dad Harold pulled him away. Harold wanted to get a taxi, unfortunately, they were in a neighborhood where no taxi would stop for them. Jimmy and his family ended up taking a shortcut through an alleyway, where they were mugged by Nick and Eddie. While Nick and Eddie were on top of a building looking over what they stole from Harold, Batman attacked them. Nick shot Batman twice in the stomach. When Nick and Eddie turned to flee, they heard a noise and looked back to see Batman standing up. Batman kicked Eddie through a door causing him to fall down the stairs, injured. Nick tried to escape, only for Batman to catch him with a Batarang, put him over the edge of a building's roof, and ordered Nick to tell others who he was. Batman then put Nick back on the building and jumped off. When Nick went to see where Batman has landed, he finds the Batman nowhere to be found. Later on, Nick and Eddie were arrested by police Lieutenant Eddie Bullock, Detective Max Eckhardt, and the GCPD. A reporter named Alexander Knox arrived at the scene to investigate rumors of the Batman being involved. Nick was screaming that it was Batman as he was being dragged into a police van only for Bullock to tell the paramedics that Nick has been drinking Drano on the roof. Although Bullock never directly came face to face with Batman, he discarded all claims about the mysterious vigilante and even belittled Knox for his belief in him. Bullock told Knox to not write this story down since it would destroy his already useless reputation. While Knox continues to press on, Bullock rudely calls Knox an idiot and throws his toothpick at him while Eckhard leaves to accept some money from Jack Napier, the right-hand-man of mob boss Carl Grissom, a powerful crime lord who ran Gotham City. Napier informed Eckhardt that newly-elected District Attorney, Harvey Dent, was nosing around one of Grissom's front companies, but Eckhardt brooded that if there's a problem, it's best to bear with it. Napier then told Eckhardt of his plan to overthrow Grissom, but Eckhardt merely scoffed at him and told him that he had no future. A brief struggle ensued that Napier started by knocking Eckhardt into a wall, and Eckhardt only decided not to shoot Napier when Napier's Hood, Bob, aimed a gun in his face. Napier then told Eckhardt that he can make a good decision if he really puts his mind to it and walks into his limousine laughing at him. Eckhardt quietly mutters the question: "Where have you been spending your nights?" As it turned out, Grissom had a mistress named Alicia Hunt, a former Vogue model who now spent all of her time shopping. Alicia was having an affair with Napier and Eckhardt has found that out. Although Alicia showed no remorse for being an ally to murderous gangsters, she did have a tender side, urging Napier to never let Grissom learn about their affair out of fear that Grissom would assassinate Napier out of jealousy. Unknown to Alicia, Grissom had cameras installed in her apartment and has seen Alicia confiding her fears in Napier when Napier was watching television where Harvey Dent was running for district attorney. Napier dismissed Grissom as a tired old man who cannot run Gotham City without him and was waiting for Grissom to die from old age so he can take over the mob. Alicia was impressed by the fact that Napier was never worried about Grissom finding out. Grissom watched all of this from his underground lair with Vinnie Ricorso and Antonie Rotelli, two mob bosses in league with him. Grissom turned off the television citing that too much television is bad for people and began to concoct a plan to eliminate Napier. Ricorso demanded to know from Grissom why Grissom would not just shoot him citing that it would be quick and easy. Grissom tells Ricorso that quick and easy can only bake a cake, not run a multinational criminal organization. Grissom then sought comfort in his pet rats which is the reason why Alicia cheated on him because Grissom spent more time with his rats than with her. At Wayne Manor, bored billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne held a fundraiser there for money to support Dent's campaign for district attorney. This was because he and Dent studied together at Gotham University with Bruce studying science and Dent studying law. Knox was able to attend because of an invite that photojournalist Vicki Vale got. Vicki believed Knox that the Batman exists even though the rest of his reporter friends did not believe him. The only reason Knox was interested in attending was to question police commissioner Loeb about the Batman. Loeb coldly told Dent that they had much to worry about than ghosts and goblins. Bruce meets and falls for Vicki. Bruce is then informed by his close friend and bodyguard Lucius Fox that Lieutenant Bullock has left for Ace Chemicals to arrest Napier. Napier was sent by Grissom to the chemical plant to remove evidence of corruption. Unfortunately for Napier, Grissom already had the evidence removed and set Napier up to be killed by Detective Eckhardt. Bullock knew that Napier was being set up, but hope to bring him in alive so that Napier can testify against Grissom. Grissom's plan was foiled with the sudden arrival of Lieutenant Bullock who wanted Napier captured alive so he can testify against Grissom. In the ensuing shootout, Napier, who realized he was set up, gunned down Eckhardt. Batman arrived when Napier attempted to kill Bullock and, in a struggle, Napier was knocked into a vat of chemicals after Batman ricocheted Napier's bullet onto his face. Batman escaped and Napier was presumed dead since it was assumed that the chemicals he fell in were acid. Jack survived and was washed into Gotham Harbor by a drainage pipe. Still submerged, he stretched an arm upward through the water's surface, where his lucky deck floated. He managed to make it to shore, and was shocked to discover that the only card he had left in his lucky deck was a joker. Needing surgery, Napier went to a man named Davis, a surgeon who lost his license a while back but continued being a doctor illegally since he had no license. Davis was able to repair Napier's cheek wounds and remove the ricocheted bullet that injured him. However, Davis was unable to fix Napier's face. Because of his long chemical submersion, Napier's hair chained from grey to emerald green, his skin pigmentation was bleached chalk white and his soft flesh, such as his mouth and lips, were flushed ruby red. Davis caused Napier to have a permanent smile on his face because of the improper medical instruments he was using. Napier was traumatized by what happened to his face. He tried to let it go, however, he lost all the sanity he had left. Napier began to laugh maniacally and convulsively, then smashed the mirror that he held on the table that held the surgeon's tools, stumbled out of the room, and laughed into the night. This was all while Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale were spending the night together at Wayne Manor. Napier started to call himself "The Joker''. He was able to fool Grissom's security force into thinking he was Alicia and revealed to his boss that he was alive. Joker made it clear he knew it was Grissom who set him up to die in the first place, especially regarding Alicia as his motive. Grissom attempted to reach into his desk drawer for a gun, however, Joker killed him and took over the crime lord's empire. He also eliminated the many mob bosses that stood in his way or opposed him such as Rotelli, by electrocuting him to death with a joy buzzer and Ricorso, by gunning him down at City Hall when Ricorso presented a false document claiming Grissom handed him all his businesses. The Joker began to terrorize Gotham City by lacing hygiene products with "Smilex", a deadly chemical which caused victims to die laughing with the same maniacal grin as the Joker. As he searched for information on Batman, the Joker was starting to get annoyed with Alicia when Alicia wanted them to spend the night together, claiming that Joker never has time for her anymore in an almost sad tone. Meanwhile, when Lieutenant Bullock and his right-hand man Charlie are on patrol, they witness Batman save a homeless little girl from a group of thugs. Charlie held Batman at gunpoint. However, Batman disarmed him and fled into an abandoned building. Claiming the building has been scheduled for demolition, Loeb ordered a bomb to be dropped on it, forcing Batman into the fortified basement, where he abandoned his belt as it catches fire. A SWAT team led by Lieutenant Arnold Flass was sent in and attempts to trap Batman in the basement. After tranquilizing Flass, Batman dodged bullets as Flass' team opens fire on him. Enraged that Flass' team were killing civilians while trying to get him, Batman beat them into submission. Using a device to attract the bats from his cave to him, he fled in the chaos. Joker learned what happened and took it out on Alicia, whom he was starting to get annoyed with. Before she died, Alicia begged Joker to spare her claiming she was pregnant with their child. However, Joker refused to listen to Alicia and shot her in the stomach. Joker then ordered his right-hand man and insurance policy Bob to dispose of Alicia's body in the acid where Bob disposed Grissom's. Later when Dent and Bullock are meeting, Dent told Bullock of his suspicions that Loeb is corrupt. Bullock agreed to this. Batman arrived, startling the two men, and gave them information from his research on Smilex that will allow the city's residents to avoid exposure to the toxin. Bullock, still distrusting Batman, had his forensic scientist Julia analyze the research and when Julia approved of it, Bullock had it released to all the news outlets in Gotham City. Vicki was angry at Bruce for lying to her that he had to leave town for a meeting. Bruce went to visit Vicki at her apartment to tell him of his alter-ego. Joker interrupted their meeting, asking Bruce, "(Have you) Ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?" before shooting him. Bruce used a tray as body armor and pretended to be dead. He remembered that the mugger who killed his parents asked the same question, and realized the Joker was the one who killed his parents. Lucius later took Vicki to the Batcave. Vicki started to bring out Bruce's human side. After telling her that he cannot focus on their relationship with the Joker terrorizing Gotham, Bruce left as Batman to destroy the Ace Chemical plant since that company was manufacturing the Smilex. Meanwhile, the Joker lures the citizens of Gotham to a parade with the promise of free money, but while throwing counterfeit cash with his face on it at the crowd as promised, also attacks them with Smilex gas released from his giant parade balloons. Batman arrived and towed the balloons above the clouds with the Batwing. The Joker then shot the Batwing using a long-barreled gun, causing it to crash, and took Vicki to the top of a cathedral, announcing his intention to replace Alicia with her. Batman, who survived the crash, fends off the Joker's remaining men despite his injuries and confronted the Joker. The two struggle, with Joker eventually gaining the upper hand, leaving Batman and Vicki clinging onto an outcropping. The Joker tried to escape by helicopter, but Batman attached a heavy granite gargoyle to the Joker's leg with his grappling hook, causing him to lose his grip and fall to his death after it broke off. Later, Dent announced that the police have arrested the Joker's men and unveiled the Bat-Signal. Bullock, who blamed Batman for creating the Joker, grudgingly read a letter from Batman promising to always defend Gotham when crime strikes again. Bullock then crumpled the note up and left not before lambasting Batman to the media. Vicki, who was attending the ceremony, was taken to Wayne Manor by Lucius, who tells her that Bruce in Thailand. She responded that she was not surprised, as Batman looks at the signal's projection, standing watch over the city. Cast * Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman * Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier / The Joker * Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale * Robert Wuhl as Alexander Knox * Pat Hingle as Lieutenant Eddie Bullock * Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent * Richard Roundtree as Lucius Fox * Jack Palance as Carl Grissom * Jerry Hall as Alicia Hunt * Tracey Walter as Bob the Goon * Lee Wallace as Mayor Borg * William Hootkins as Detective Max Eckhardt * John Dair as Vinnie Ricorso * Christopher Fairbank as Nick * George Roth as Eddie * Hugo E. Blick as Young Jack Napier Category:DC Movies